Kansas City leaders said something needs to be done to curb gun violence in the city, where more than 100 homicides and many more shootings were reported last year.

But gun instructor Joe Moran said Obama and his proposals won't be popular with people who visit gun ranges in the area.

"All it's doing is infringing on the Second Amendment. It's threatening the right of Americans to own firearms," Moran said.

"That's hogwash. This isn't infringing on anybody. This is about letting people live," said Alvin Brooks of Kansas City's AdHoc Group Against Crime.

In addition to the three bills the White House plans to send to Congress, Obama signed nearly two dozen executive orders Wednesday to adjust some of the federal regulations that deal with guns, including expanding access to the records of gun owners.

"It's just like medical records, or financial records, for that matter," he said.

Moran said he did support the president's idea to expand required background checks.

"I believe in wider background checks for weapons, especially to see who might have them who may be mentally disabled," he said.

Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt said the prospects for a big gun-control bill in Congress are not good.

"You have got to have a cause-and-effect connection here," he said. "You can't just throw things out and see what will stick."

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill says she supports services for the mentally ill, as well as expanded background checks for gun purchases and limiting the size of ammunition magazines that can be sold. She said such steps can be taken while still protecting Second Amendment rights.